Surrogacy: What is it, how does it work, and more

In light of Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West’s alleged surrogacy contract following the news that a natural pregnancy isn’t an option for the famous couple, Vogue gets a grip on the basics and answers all your surrogacy-related questions.

What is surrogacy?
According to Surrogacy UK, surrogacy can be broken down into two main types; “host or gestational surrogacy” and “traditional surrogacy”. Host surrogacy is most commonly what people are referring to when they speak of surrogacy and involves IVF to induce pregnancy in the surrogate using the egg of the intended mother or a donor egg. (This means that the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby.) In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate uses an insemination kit to become pregnant using the intended father’s semen and her own egg.

How does it work?
Host surrogacy has three stages to it; egg donation, fertilisation and transfer. The first stage—egg donation—is when the mother or donor undergoes a procedure to extract a number of her eggs. Fertilisation then takes place in the lab using the father’s semen and the final stage is the transferral of up to two of these fertilised eggs into the surrogate’s womb. After around two weeks doctors will be able to confirm whether or not the process has been successful.

What does the law say?
The laws surrounding surrogacy vary hugely between different countries, and in cases like the USA, even different states have vastly distinct regulations. In the UK, surrogacy is legal but cannot be advertised or commercialised (you’re not allowed to pay someone to be your surrogate, nor advertise surrogacy as a service). In many cases, a friend or family member offers to carry a loved one’s baby as a tremendous act of kindness. In America it is another story entirely; in some states, surrogacy in any form is illegal (Michigan, Louisiana and New York), while in others like California, surrogacy is permitted in all its variations.

How successful is it?
Success rates vary enormously from case to case, with everything from the age of the surrogate, to the quality of the egg having a huge impact. What can be said for sure is that it’s not an easy process.